Georgia Early Education Alliance snags $700,000 grant

The Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students was among the hosts of a December election forum about education issues featuring Atlanta mayoral candidates Mary Norwood and Keisha Lance Bottoms. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

A Georgia nonprofit that supports statewide early learning received a $700,000 grant for research, creating a leadership academy, and offering training to parents.

Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, or GEEARS, announced Thursday it had received the money from the Atlanta-based Goizueta Foundation.

"The funding from the Goizueta Foundation will not only help us continue the exciting research and initiatives that the foundation helped us birth, but it will also bring life to new and expanded plans we have to further the early childhood movement in Georgia,” said GEEARS executive director Mindy Binderman, in a written statement.

Among the new efforts will be a study of Georgia work and childcare; the creation of a new leadership academy that will provide training, support, and continue public education; and the establishment of an Early Education Training Academy focused on helping parents make sure their children are ready for kindergarten.